


Drift, Or...

by snack_size



Series: Rowing [1]
Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College, Alternate Universe - Sports, Chuck is an Adorable Ball of Well Muscled Rage, Coach Newt, M/M, Men in Spandex, Rowing, Yancy is Definitely Bow Seat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-02
Updated: 2013-10-02
Packaged: 2017-12-28 05:10:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/988073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snack_size/pseuds/snack_size
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>How Chuck Hansen learned to stop rushing and love sitting in bow pair.</i>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>A Pacific Rim/College Rowing AU, because...well, <a href="http://xue-ying.tumblr.com/">xue-ying</a><a></a> said she would make <a href="http://xue-ying.tumblr.com/post/62844073781/for-snack-size-who-started-it-by-putting-coxing">an image set if I wrote it.</a> We brainstormed together. This is the completely ridiculous result.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Drift, Or...

**Author's Note:**

> Herc and Stacker are college seniors, and Herc is Chuck's older brother. Yancy and the Weis are juniors, Raleigh, Mako, and Tendo are sophomores, and Chuck is a freshman. It's pretty unusual for freshman at a competitive program to make the varsity eight. See the endnotes for some info on collegiate rowing from a former cox's perspective.

“Right, then, varsity eight line-up,” Coach Geiszler said, standing on his customary box so that he could at least meet his rowers at eye level. “Mako will be coxing-”

Chuck had expected that. Mako had come a long way since her novice year, especially with Stacker basically adopting her. “Stacks, I’ve got you at stroke with Herc behind you.” 

Completely expected- Stacker and his older brother had been stroke and seven for almost two years now. Chuck glanced at Herc and smiled. He grinned back - with the erg numbers he had pulled, the improvements he’d made over winter training, he was finally going to be sitting in the varsity eight behind Herc at six-

“Then we’ve got Wei-”

“Which Wei?” called Yancy, and Chuck felt his stomach drop slightly - and that stupid fuck had planned that comment, too.

“Jin Wei,” Coach replied, rolling his eyes, “Then Hu, Tendo, dude, I’ve got you in four-” Tendo grinned - he’d been working really hard over the winter as well, but four? Tendo wasn’t exactly serious muscle. Chuck looked at Coach Geiszler with disbelief and felt himself begin to shake. This wasn’t how-

“Rals, in three, then Chuck at two. Yance, you’re in the bow.” 

Chuck was pretty sure his vision blanked out - bow? Bow pair? He had the second best erg score on the team and- “Mako, let’s get everyone ready - Chuck? Cheung?” Not to mention, he was sandwiched between the Beckets, and if that wasn’t hell-

“Yes, coach?” Chuck said.

“I know you wanted...look, you’re still too rushed on the catch and your feather is sloppy, and you can get a lot from Raleigh, his patience-”

“Coach, I - you had me in seven behind Tate for trials and I know with a better stroke-”

Geiszler put a hand on his shoulder. “It’s not permanent Chuck, yeah? Just for the next week, then we might juggle around.” He then turned his attention to the dejected third Wei triplet, sent to do penance for his bad erg score in the second varsity eight. He at least knew it was probably coming, though. 

Chuck walked over to their boat, flip flops slapping on the ground. He met Herc’s eyes as he stood at the front of the boat, then walked down to the bow where the two blonde Beckets were standing, grinning like the idiots they were. Raleigh held a fist bump up to Chuck.

He stared. “Good job, man,” Raleigh said. 

“V-8,” said Yancy. He grinned at him. “Eight different fruits and vegetables.”

“Well, we know where the fruit is,” Chuck said. Raleigh turned and glared at him. Chuck held his hands up, like, really? Yancy was weird - it wasn’t like it was a secret.

“Hands on Striker Eureka,” called Mako. She was clean and succinct as they got the boat out and down the dry dock. Chuck couldn’t help but notice when they went up over head to roll the boat in the water that Yancy wasn’t tall enough to have his hand on the boat anymore. He grinned at Chuck and wiggled his fingers. 

“Spirit fingers,” he mouthed.

 _Fucking hell,_ Chuck thought.

* * * 

“Rowing behind Becket is like...like rowing in fucking slow motion!” he said in Herc’s car as his brother drove them back from the boat house. Everyone else seemed to be able to sense Chuck’s mood - no one else had got in with them, and usually Herc’s car was one of the first to fill up. “Like he’s got his slides covered in glue!”

“Raleigh’s got a solid stroke-” Herc said. 

“If he had a solid stroke he’d be in the fucking stroke seat with Tweedle Fucking Dumb!” Chuck said. “And that’s the other thing, you should hear the shit that comes out of his mouth and Raleigh is just laughing the entire time-”

Herc shrugged at this. Yancy Becket was unique, Herc had him as his seven when Stacker had been injured. “You’re in the boat, Chuck. As a freshman.” 

Chuck’s eyes narrowed at this and Herc sighed. “Do I look like I belong in the bow?” he asked.

“Your ass is a little fat for the bow,” Herc said and Chuck tossed his empty Nalgene at Herc. “Driving, Chuck, I’m driving.” 

* * * 

“Chuck, ride with us!” Raleigh called as he stuck his head out of his car the next morning for their 6:00 A.M. row. Tendo had already climbed in, and Herc elbowed him. Chuck grabbed his bag and walked over. 

“Is he asleep?” he asked, when he got in the back seat next to Yancy, who had tugged a PPDC sweatshirt blanket around himself.

“Nope,” Yancy said, though his head was back and his eyes were closed. 

_He had better be asleep now,_ Chuck thought, when he put his head on Chuck’s shoulder as soon as they pulled out of the parking lot. Chuck didn’t object to the sleeping - plenty of the guys did on the way to A.M. practice. It was the sleeping on him. 

Fifteen minutes later, as they ran through drills, Chuck felt his skin itch as he waited for bow pair to get called in. There was still a chill in the air, too, and he wasn’t used to just sitting around. Then, finally, Mako said, “Bow pair, in two. Two. One. Bow pair in, at half slide for one, two - bow pair?”

 _No fucking way,_ Chuck thought, but they were listing to the one side, which could only mean- “Are you serious?” he said, turning around. Yancy’s head had lolled forward and he’d somehow managed to keep a strong enough hold on the oar that it didn’t drag. “Are you fucking sleeping, Becket, what the hell is wrong with you?”

“Hey! Stop yelling at-” Raleigh began, and Yancy raised his head, blinked, and grinned at Chuck.

“Bow pair in?” he asked. 

“You used to wake him up, didn’t you?” Chuck asked Raleigh.

“He’s not a morning person!” 

“What the fuck is going on back there?” All three of them stopped at Stacker’s voice - he must have taken the mike from Mako when she got flustered. Not that she could be blamed for that.

“Yancy was sleeping!” Chuck called. 

“Paper due, sorry!” Yancy said, and shrugged his shoulders at Chuck like it was no big thing. 

“Fuck, where the hell is Geiszler?” Chuck asked.

“He’s still trying to get the launch started,” Mako said. “We will proceed with our warm-up with bow pair.” There was still a slight hitch in her voice - you could hear her nerves, the lack of confidence, which had apparently been her biggest struggle last year.

And Raleigh had the fucking nerve to glare at Chuck like it was his fault. 

* * * * 

“Bird,” Yancy said, as they were rowing the next afternoon. “Pretty cool bird, actually. I think they’re called herons. We don’t have them in Alaska.”

“This is not a goddamn wildlife documentary,” Chuck said. 

“You would be amazed at the biodiversity on our little canal,” Yancy continued.

“What is wrong with you?” Chuck asked.

“If you can talk, bow pair, I do not think you are putting in your best effort,” Mako said. Chuck clenched his jaw together, which was just when Geiszler finally caught up to them in the launch. 

“Stacks! Herc! Looking nice and smooth, great rhythm, Weis - more leg, I can see it, you’re not…with the legs! Cheung, Cheung is looking pretty hungry in the 2V, so…Tendo, you’ve got to get in with Hu - so Raleigh, focus more on following Cheung’s oar, yeah? And Chuck - you are looking real tense, real rushed - so Yancy, keep doing what you’re doing, follow Raleigh, not Chuck, OK? I think we’re ready to run the 500s, Mako, let’s see you guys work it at a solid 30…”

“You gotta just let it flow, man…” Yancy murmured, as they Mako counted them into the eight 500 meters that would make up the bulk of their practice. “Like, drift with Raleigh, man, just…drift.”

“I hate you so, so very much,” Chuck said. 

While they were idle, recovering from the first five hundred, Raleigh turned. “Give Yancy his bottle.” He held a pink Nalgene out at Chuck. Of course it would be pink.

“You keep his bottle for him?” Chuck asked. 

“You know, Chuck,” Yancy said, grabbing the bottle out of Chuck’s hand, “coach says, you know, you’re rushed, and tight, and hard on the feather and those are all _angry_ words-” 

“Relax, Chuck,” Raleigh said. 

“More love, less hate,” Yancy added. “Just drift.” 

“Everyone was really rushed, there, I know it’s your first week together but it’s like you all forgot how long to slide, OK?” Geiszler asked, suddenly speeding right past the boat - typical, he still had no idea how the throttle worked despite having driven the launch for three years now. “We really need to focus on this - next one is at thirty-two.” 

By the sixth five hundred they were really rushed and sloppy - Chuck could feel it in the boat, and, sure, it was just their second week back on the water but there was really no excuse. He leaned forward when it was over.

Chuck turned to stretch his back and his eyes widened when he saw Yancy had striped down to just his shorts. Yancy was almost never without a top, and there was no real reason for it, because he was...not as thick as Raleigh, but probably more defined, and…

Yancy grinned at him and stuck his tongue out. “Give me the beat boys and free my soul, I want to get lost in your rock and roll, and drift away…” Chuck flipped him off.

“Arms up,” Mako said. “We begin our seventh in one minute, so stern four, begin at half pressure in two, that’s one, two…” Her voice was a little stronger, at least, but she still seemed like she was holding back, choosing her words too carefully. “And bow four, in two, that’s one, two-”

As they threw themselves into it, Chuck could feel the strain even up to Stacker and Herc - and their fitness was good, so it was all match, none of them catching at the same time. He grit his teeth.

Then, to add insult to injury, Aleksis and Sasha Kaidanovsky appeared around the corner - the two women’s coaches were out for their morning workout in their singles. They overtook them easily, and, OK, both were Olympians, but singles should not be able to just mow down the first varsity eight.

“Fuck!” Chuck said, when they were done. 

“Guys, guys, you gotta give me something, here,” Geiszler called, several hundred meters back, megaphone on hi as he turned the launch in the wrong direction. “I mean, I’m not...am I crazy? Don’t answer that, OK, this afternoon, we’re going to need to do some drills, uh, some team building, maybe, I don’t know, but let’s try and end this workout on a high point - and I know you can do better, Tendo, Hu, you two are the loose connection - and I know he’s not your triplet, Hu, but you’ve got to be smoother to give Tendo a chance to get that catch in!” 

“Cheung does not need this,” Hu grumbled.

“Yeah, well, Cheung needs to work his legs a little harder and beat my erg score,” Tendo said. “Ow! No poking!”

“Shut up and row, man, you’re fucking up the rest of the bow,” Raleigh said.

* * *

“We should have a fist bump,” Yancy said, that afternoon, as the boat drilled to get their coordination back together. 

“What?” 

“Raleigh and I, we had a fist bump, last year, when we were three and four.” 

“You didn’t remember it, half the time-”

“It was too complicated, Rals, I told you that,” Yancy said. “You and I, Chuck, we’ll do better, right?” 

Chuck buried his head in his hands.

* * * 

Chuck stayed in bow for the first race of the season, and they took it by just two seats, not pretty, but it was a win. Everything burned when it was over, though, and Chuck collapsed back when they were able to drift - and found himself caught in the open arms of Yancy Becket. “Hey, buddy,” he said, and beamed down at Chuck. “You did real good, kid.” 

Raleigh leaned back and looked at both of them, brow furrowed. Then he threw up a little bit out of the side of the boat.

“Man, I told you not to eat that cream cheese,” Yancy said. Chuck blushed and realized he was still laying in his arms.

* * * 

“So here’s the thing,” Geiszler said, when he sat down with Chuck for their after the race meeting, “You and Yancy, you work well together.”

“What?” Chuck asked.

“Compliment each other, uh, opposites attract? He’s smooth, steady, perfect set - you give him some tenacity, though, make him fight for it. Yance is a technician - you’re a brawler. I like it. I like you in bow pair, actually-”

“Really?” Chuck asked. 

“Yeah, look, I know, Chuck, you want up in the stern, but I’m not breaking up a functional pair, at this point, and, hell, it’s your first year, so…” 

* * *

Herc looked at Chuck and shrugged his shoulders. He’d waited for his brother after his own meeting where he had mostly talked to Geiszler about how Mako could improve, because he knew Stacks wouldn’t just fire away with a pointed critique. She just needed to get fired up, he said. They all knew she had, somewhere.

“So you’re good in the bow. Could be worse,” Herc said, in response to Chuck’s glare.

“Could be worse?” Chuck said. 

“Could be playing musical chairs with Tendo and Cheung,” Herc said.

“But I won’t be, I’ve got the second best erg besides Stacker, that’s not-” Chuck began, and Herc nudged his shoulder “-you think you’re cute, old man?” 

“I mean, you’re not gonna get in stern pair-”

“Until next year, I know!” 

“So quit your bitching so we can get to nationals my last year, yeah?” Herc asked. 

Chuck inhaled. Right. 

* * *

Chuck caught a crab, hard, and couldn’t figure out why his oar was flying out of his hand - he was right behind Raleigh and there was no reason, and he fought hard, for a moment, to keep from flying out of the boat, and- “Duck!” 

“What?” Chuck asked, as he right himself.

“You hit that fucking duck, Chuck!” Yancy said, and slapped him on the back. “Shoulda seen his expression - what a stupid duck - is he alive? I hope he’s alive, though, natural selection and all...” 

“I think that is bad luck,” said Cheung, back in four seat behind his two brothers. 

“He’s stunned, but alive,” Raleigh said, shielding his eyes even with his sunglasses on. “Or dead. Could be dead.” 

“Well, OK, I have heard of that happening but always assumed it was just some urban legend but you really hit that duck, Chuck-” Geiszler said, turning the launch around to face them. “And good work on that, Mako, that was some solid coxing, but I think, ah, we need some more fire-”

“Duck, Chuck,” Yancy said, delighted with it. “You’re a little angry duck, aren’t you, Chuck?” 

“No,” Chuck said. “I will spank you with an oar, you ever say that again-”

“Promise?” Yancy asked. Raleigh groaned. 

* * *

“Chuck.” 

Chuck looked up from his laptop and was surprised to see Mako holding out a cup of coffee to him. He nodded, and she slid into the seat across from him at the cafe. “You have a lot of work?”

“No, just a paper to put together,” he said. “Intro to Literary Theory.” 

“You have Lass?” Mako asked, and nodded at the books spread in front of him. 

“Yeah, Herc said to take it with him - I think I might be an English major, so - uh..?”

“I need your help,” Mako said, and glanced down. “I just keep hearing, I need more fire, more...I am competitive, I want to win, and coach said that he might see how you do with Henry-”

“Oh, fuck no,” Chuck said. He’d spent his fall in the second varsity eight with Henry, whose ever-so-slightly nasal voice had made Chuck want to tear the skin off his own face. 

“You have no problem expressing your anger.” 

Chuck considered this. “I guess not. But, I mean, I don’t get in a habit of doing it in the boat - it’s mostly Raleigh and Yancy, they’re both fucking idiots, you know-” 

“Well, that is just because-” Mako immediately clapped a hand over her mouth. 

“What?” Chuck asked. Mako shook her head. “Mori. I will help you access your anger, or whatever, but only if you finish that statement.” 

“No,” Mako said. “I cannot. Raleigh would kill me.” The two of them were really good friends - Raleigh had been Mako’s stroke last year in the novice eight and they were both political science majors. 

“I’ll still help you, relax,” Chuck said, and folded his laptop down. “But only because I really, really hate Henry.” 

“Hate is such a strong word,” Mako said. Chuck sighed.

* * *

“You and me baby ain’t nothing but mammals, so let’s do it like they do on the Discovery Channel…” 

“I don’t think they’re fucking,” Chuck said, before he realized he was actually engaging Yancy. 

“I don’t think animals dry hump each other, Chuck,” Yancy replied. Chuck sighed.

 

* * * 

They won their second race. Mako finally found what made her angry - Chuck promised not to betray her secret, but it turned out to be boys with guitars and how they would make out with you and then make out with another girl at the same party. “Never trust a bloke with a guitar,” Chuck said.

“So many feelings!” Mako said, and smacked her fist on the table. “And I told him all of them were special!” 

They came in second out of four, next, and Geiszler moved Tendo back in the boat, but at six, and suddenly, it all clicked. It was a hell of a lot easier to deal with the Beckets when he could just treat them as ambient background music - no longer annoyed by the rush, their lack of alignment, their constant stupidity was no different than the perfect, synchronized smack of all eights oars in the water. Chuck also stopped bitching because he saw how much it pissed off Herc - who should, Chuck realized, enjoy their push for nationals his last year. 

* * * 

“I think, uh, you all would benefit from the afternoon off,” said Geiszler, and the euphoric moan that came from the nine of them probably confirmed that for him. “However! I want you to go and do something, you know, even just for fifteen minutes, not physical - with your pair. Uh, Mako, you go with Stacks and Herc, OK? Just...something...pleasurable. But not, uh, sex. Since I should not be encouraging any of you to have sex with each other - and that might have been a leap, pleasure, to sex, but. I’ll stop talking now.”

“What do you say?” Yancy said, yawning and stretching. “Nap?” 

“I don’t think that’s quite what-”

“Yeah, I know, but a guy can hope, right?” he said, and shrugged. “Ice cream?” 

“Pints of ice cream,” Chuck replied. Yancy nodded. 

* * * 

Chuck’s vision narrowed and all that was left was Mako’s voice and Hu’s oar and Raleigh’s back - “Legs! Legs! Raleigh, Hu - I have their five! I want their six - for our seniors! We win this! Ten, for Herc, for Stacks, and one-” He might have blacked out, he decided, somewhere in the last five hundred, but his body at this point knew what it needed to do.

Chuck tried not to dwell, too much, on how this boiled down to follow and replicate the exact motions of Raleigh Becket. 

“Half seat! Not enough! Chuck! Yancy! Do you want this? Then push! Thrust! Harder! Up for the finish - in one, two, at 38, and we finish in ten!” 

Chuck felt leaned forward when they were done - victory by six seats, and a guaranteed spot at nationals in a month. Yancy’s hands were on his back and he grinned as Herc and Stacker made a faint whooping sound from the front of the boat. “You hear that, Chuck? She called it for us, right at the end.”

“She sure did,” Raleigh said, and he sounded like he hadn’t drank water in days. 

* * *

They had been dry and alcohol free, all spring, but since they were now State Champions a celebration was in order. They were drunk in short order - out of practice and exhausted, it didn’t take much, especially since the women’s team had come in a surprise second place and was celebrating right along with them.

Chuck watched as Herc made eyes at Angela Brewster, the third seat in the women’s varsity eight. “Now or never, old man,” he said, and Herc wrapped his arm around Chuck.

“Glad I did this with you, baby bro,” Herc replied, sloshing some of his champagne on Chuck.

Chuck nodded and grinned at him - didn’t want to think about the fight they were going to have against a lot of the bigger programs they’d be rowing against, teams that had eight Aleksis Kaidanovsky’s slapping away. 

He realized he was a little bit drunk, and even if it was a celebration, he didn’t want a hangover in the morning - their parents were up for the state meet and were going to want to take him and Herc for breakfast, and there was nothing worse. He grabbed a bottle of water and slipped outside. 

It was still cool, and he instantly wished he had grabbed his PPDC hoodie - instead he was in his threadbare t-shirt. 

“Aw, hey, Chuck,” said Yancy, sitting on a picnic bench outside of the apartment that the Weis shared with another team member. He motioned him over. “You’ll freeze your nipples off.” 

“Not really,” Chuck said, and climbed up and sat down next to Yancy. 

“It would be a shame, too, nipples are useful,” Yancy said. He shucked off one of the ridiculous wool sweaters he and Raleigh were always wearing - Chuck was pretty sure it was because they wanted to remind people they were really special and from Alaska - and handed it to him. 

“I’m OK, really,” Chuck said, but Yancy shook his head. Chuck pulled the sweater on and sighed. Then he met Yancy’s eyes, and- “What about your nipples?”

“Are you concerned about my nipples?” Yancy asked. 

_Shit,_ Chuck thought, and then it all made sense - what Mako wouldn’t tell him Raleigh knew. Thrust! Harder! She’d been trying to send them fucking subliminal messages all season, and… “Yeah,” he said. 

Yancy grinned at him and leaned in, slightly, raised his eyebrows. Chuck felt himself blush. “Good,” Yancy said. 

His lips were light, soft, and Chuck was a little taken aback by how good kissing him felt even with just the slightest hint of pressure. He reached and put his hand on the back of Yancy’s neck, and sighed, slightly. 

“Oh, no! Hands off, Becket!” Stacker called, the door to the apartment opening. 

“No touching!” Herc echoed, though he didn’t mean it at all.

Stacker did. “Hey!” Chuck said, and turned. Yancy just cocked his head.

“You want us to win, or what?” Stacker demanded.

“I like winning,” Yancy replied.

“Two things that fuel Chuck Hansen’s rage,” said Stacker, “is being pissed at the stupid shit that you say and being pissed about not getting laid.” 

“I think I’ll still be pretty pissed about the stupid shit he says,” Chuck said.

“Ah,” Stacker said, and though Chuck couldn’t see his face, he knew their Captain and Stroke was legitimately considering this. “All right, then. Carry on.” 

Yancy grinned at him, and Chuck grinned back.

**Author's Note:**

> A few observations on rowing, from a former men's collegiate cox (why, yes, I do miss spending large amounts of time yelling at sweaty, stinky, angry men in spandex outfits. Yes, they have nice bodies and the spandex is form fitting, but they are college boys, and they do not wash their spandex).
> 
> For the boat to move fastest, everyone's oars need to enter the water at the same time - basically. You have to move with the person in front of you and match your oar to the oar in front of you.
> 
> Your stroke pair - here, Stacker and Herc - set the all important rhythm for the boat and need to be able to work together seamlessly to keep your stroke rate regular. They are not necessarily your strongest or most powerful rowers. They'll have the best technique. Xue-ying and I agreed they're a natural pair. Stroke seat will often work closely with the cox, mostly because you are staring at each other for long, long periods of time. 
> 
> The next four rowers are usually called your "engine room" since this is where you tend to put the big, powerful guys. Bow pair, in contrast, tend to really influence the balance of the boat and also need to have really strong technique. They're also usually your smaller, lighter rowers. For some reason they also tend to be the ones with the comments/banter/weird behavior - whether it's because they're so far away from the action, or it behooves you to stick those two the furthest from the action. Chuck would balk at being at bow because he's a big, strong, manly man. 
> 
> An erg is an ergometer, or indoor rowing machine/torture device. Rowers will row 2ks on an erg and generally your top eight finishers will get to be in your varsity eight, unless you have a compelling - usually technique or fit - related reason for this not to be true.


End file.
